Empty Spaces in Poland
From abandoned buildings to affordable homes
In Poland, 1.8 million properties sit empty while hundreds of thousands of people struggle to find a decent, affordable home. We’re closing that gap.
Through our Empty Spaces to Homes initiative, we turn these abandoned buildings into safe, energy-efficient homes in partnership with those who need them most.
By doing so, we’re tackling two urgent challenges at once: the housing crisis and climate change. Saving these structures is the most sustainable way to build. Tearing down and rebuilding creates large amounts of pollution. By renovating existing buildings instead, we cut harmful carbon emissions by up to 85%.
Building for long-term benefits
In the heart of Piaseczno, Poland, we are renovating a historic tenement house that sat vacant for decades. Alongside local partners and volunteers from across the world, we are turning this once abandoned building into 25 affordable, high-quality apartments.
When we build, we focus on the long-term benefits for residents. During our renovations, we install modern insulation and high-efficiency heating systems. Because most buildings in Poland lack proper insulation, many families are burdened with unaffordable heating costs. By building this way, we ensure residents can afford to not only live in these homes, but heat and power them, too.
“I’m proud that a place once empty will be filled with laughter and joy again. We’re giving these spaces a new life so that people in our city have a place to start theirs.”
A blueprint for change
We’ve shown through projects like the one in Piaseczno that unused properties can become affordable, sustainable, high-quality homes. This approach offers a proven model we can continue to scale, reaching more families with affordable homes that are better for the planet.
To make this possible, we’re advocating for the polices and funding needed to take on more projects and to help more cities across Europe adopt this approach.
